Lynch touts working-man roots during caucus visit

SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE/ JOHN LOVE
U.S. Rep Stephen Lynch, who is running for U.S. Senate, address the crowd at the caucus in Fitchburg on Saturday.

FITCHBURG -- U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch stopped in Fitchburg Saturday morning to reiterate his blue collar-themed platform as a primary candidate for the U.S. Senate.

The Fitchburg Democratic Caucus was meeting to select 23 delegates for the Massachusetts Democratic State Convention on July 13 in Lowell.

Lynch said caucus meetings are a good way to meet the "movers and shakers" in town because they tend to draw the most dedicated party members.

Lynch stressed his 18 years as an iron worker and time on unemployment.

"I am trying to bring that experience, bring that perspective, to the United States Senate," said Lynch. "I think the U.S. Senate has become somewhat of an exclusive club and if you look at the members there, most are either multi-millionaires or career politicians and I think I have a different perspective."

Lynch, who was a state representative from 1995 to 1996, a state senator from 1996 to 2001 and a U.S. representative since 2001, was critical of free trade agreements. He said they lead to the closure of the General Motors plant in Framingham which were reopened in Mexico. He said he looks at these issues from the workers' perspective.

Lynch said he is not against free trade in general, but believes the nation has made bad decisions with existing trade policy.

"We need tougher negotiations when we sit down and craft free trade agreements," said Lynch.

Advertisement

He was also critical of taxes that the president's healthcare legislation put on medical device manufacturers, which he said has lead to moving those factories to places like Ireland.

When asked about President Barack Obama's use of drone strikes to kill suspected terrorists, Lynch said there are really two issues at play. He said it is "problematic" when used against suspected terrorists who are American citizens.

"There has to be a legal process where those individuals shall have the benefit of constitutional protections," said Lynch. He said it is different when used against training camps where attacks are being planned. He considers those cases to be battlefields that require different approaches.

"The Democrats don't have all the good ideas," said Lynch, "But we have most of them."

Conroy told the crowd Markey has long been a strong support of consumer protections laws, which he later clarified as supporting legislation on telecommunication companies that prevent them from accessing private information of users. He also said Markey has long been an opponent of America's nuclear arsenal and a supporter of cap and trade and renewing the assault weapons ban.

Speaking for Markey, he said Massachusetts has high energy costs and supports using cap and trade to make it more expensive to produce electricity through ways that pollute. This, he said, would lower the cost differences with alternative energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines. When combined with more trade restrictions on important solar panels, there would be an increase in manufacturing of alternative energy technology in Massachusetts and lead to energy dependence.

Conroy said the increase in electricity rates would only be in the short term, as economies of scale would make alternative energy cheaper in the long run and lead to savings.

State Rep. Stephen DiNatale, D-Fitchburg endorsed Lynch at the caucus. This was the first time DiNatale has announced his support for Lynch, who he said he's known for years.

"He's a down to earth, nuts and bolts lunch-pail Democrat," DiNatale said.

A representative of state Sen. Jennifer Flanagan, D-Leominster said Flanagan has not publicly declared support for either candidate yet.

The Democratic primary will be held on April 30 and the special election will be June 25.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sentinel and Enterprise. So keep it civil.